Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows XP => Topic started by: John-Paul on December 17, 2004, 07:29:56 AM

Title: System Idle Process
Post by: John-Paul on December 17, 2004, 07:29:56 AM

 :DDoes anybody know anything more about a "System Idle Process" which appears to run when a PC is not doing anything with Windows XP?  

In the task manager processes tab, this appears to be using 99% of my CPU resource and shows the user as "SYSTEM".  I am encountering significant slowing down of my system, and cannot for the life of me find anything wrong - ie no virus, malware, etc - and I think this might be the cause?

Title: Re: System Idle Process
Post by: 2k dummy on December 17, 2004, 08:22:32 AM

Thats perfectly normal. What that is really saying is - You are using 1% of the CPU cycles and 99% are doing nothing. If your system is slowing down, something else is the cause. If you have Content Indexer running, turn it off. Also run Ad-Aware and Spybot. Spyware can eat your processor and bandwidth alive.

Title: Re: System Idle Process
Post by: Chunkymunky01 on December 17, 2004, 08:39:53 AM

Back again - thanks for the response.  I think it's spyware, have run Ad Aware which can find nothing, but I'll try spybot.

Out of interest, what is content indexer?

Title: Re: System Idle Process
Post by: 2k dummy on December 17, 2004, 10:10:38 AM

Content Indexer is the indexing service in XP. IMO, it is a total resource hog. You can disable it, or better still, uninstall it from add/remove programs/windows components.

Title: Re: System Idle Process
Post by: Neil on December 17, 2004, 01:37:43 PM

What are your computer specs?

Title: Re: System Idle Process
Post by: Chunkymunky on December 20, 2004, 02:52:26 AM

Computer spec - 512 MB RAM, 2250 MHz processor, running windows XP,